Chapter 10
It was really getting late now and Paine was ready to leave when she saw Gippal.
"You're here too?"
"I'm looking for Rikku," he said, "have you seen her?"
"I think she's dancing with Baralai."
"Why?"
Paine shrugged coolly, "I think I'm supposed to be jealous."
"Oh… are you?"
"No."
"Really?"
"I hate dancing," said Paine.
"I mean about her dancing with Baralai."
"Why should I be?" asked Paine and then, seeing the look on Gippal's face, she groaned, "not this again! I swear, Gippal, you and Rikku are only making things worse."
"Huh? How?" asked Gippal, then he frowned, "you're still wondering what it was you felt, aren't you?"
"I didn't feel anything when he kissed me," Paine muttered.
"Why can't you see what everybody else sees?!" Gippal froze, "oh, Yevon! That's it!"
"What's it?"
"Come with me!"
"Where are we going?" Paine huffed as Gippal dragged her out onto the dark street.
"The temple!"
"Why?"
"The old Crimson records!"
"Why would you want to look at them?" asked Paine.
"To shove your feelings in your face," said Gippal and they walked into the temple, to the record room.
"But I was the recorder," said Paine, "there won't be any of me."
"Heh," said Gippal, "we kinda… uhm… stole your sphere recorder when you weren't looking… a lot…"
Paine her eyes, "fine, what did you want to show me?"
"Uhm… let's see…" Gippal pulled out a bunch of boxes and went through them. "Filmed by you… you… you… you… Nooj? Nah, he's boring… you… you… Baralai! Here, let's watch this!"
"It's probably just some boring training session," said Paine, rolling her eyes.
"Nup, can't be," said Gippal, "you were forced to film all of them. This one's gotta just be us hanging about, right?"
"I guess…"
Gippal switched it on and watch as it began to play.
-
Baralai Sphere 1
The sphere is lying on the ground…
"Guess Paine dropped this," said Baralai, reaching over to pick it up, "I'll go give it back."
Gippal tried to sit up but fell back on his pallet, exhausted, "you do that, man."
-
"In my defense," said Gippal, waving his arms, "that was after that one battle with the Omega Weapon!"
"Everyone else managed to stay awake," said Paine and Gippal huffed a little, turning the sphere back on.
-
Baralai Sphere 1 continued
Baralai filmed the surroundings as he walked out of the tent- the Calm Lands…
"Hey," said Baralai to himself, "this filming thing is kinda fun."
Eventually, Paine appeared in the picture and Baralai zoomed in. She was standing in the Travel Agency, talking to a little girl in pigtails who wouldn't leave her alone. The sphere zoomed in further on her face and stayed there for a very long time before travelling down her body and up again- Paine, still completely ignorant as the sphere returned to her face, turned to leave and saw Baralai.
"It's that my sphere?"
"Uhh, yeah," came Baralai's voice, "I was just returning it."
"Why's it turned on?"
"Oh, uhm… I was just… uhm… you know what? I have no idea!"
Paine gave him an odd look and the sphere went black.
End Baralai Sphere 1
-
"Your point?" said Paine.
"Uhm, hello?" said Gippal "he wasted like ten minutes of footage staring at you!"
"I'm sure it was just his mind being elsewhere- or weariness, we were all tired, remember?"
Gippal groaned and rolled his eyes, "take two! Paine… Paine… Paine… Nooj… Me… hey! Me! Can we watch it?! It might be funny! I'm a great recorder!"
Paine gave a sort of amused huff and nodded.
-
Gippal Sphere 1
"Hallo and welcome to the Gippal and Riks show!" said Gippal, who obviously had the camera propped up on something because it showed him sitting on a chair in the Travel Agency next to Rikku, who was, coincidentally, visiting.
-
"Ohmiyevon! I love the Gippal and Riks show!" Gippal exclaimed, his own audience.
Paine raised an eyebrow, half amused and half embarrassed to be breathing the same air as him.
-
Gippal Sphere 1 Continued
"We're here today to discuss an important theory on the sex life of the Crimson Squad's finest reporter-"
-
"You know what," said Gippal, snatching up the sphere and turning it off quickly, "that was a really bad episode that should never ever be seen again... ever."
Paine rolled her eyes, like she had wanted to listen to Gippal and Rikku prattle on about her nonexistent relationship with Baralai anyway. "I'm waiting? What is it you wanted to show me?"
"Let's try this one!"
-
Baralai Sphere 2
"Hey, guys!" said Baralai, laughing playfully as he zoomed in on his friends in the boys' tent- they had decided on the first night to be heroes and let Paine have the other tent to herself, so it was only them inside.
Nooj looked up from where he sat, shining his sword, slightly amused but mostly annoyed.
Gippal grabbed the camera and turned it on him, "heya!" he said, dancing out of Baralai's reach and out into the night air.
"Hey! Give that back!" said Baralai, also getting up and following him out.
Gippal darted away and Baralai chased after him. After a while they came to the Cavern of the Fayth.
"Dude, this place is creeeeeeeeeepy," said Gippal, grinning and pausing only for a moment before dancing right in.
Baralai groaned and went in after him, "Gippal! Give Paine's sphere back, right now!"
"Well how come you had it?" said Gippal.
"I asked if I could borrow it!" said Baralai defensively.
"Did she say yes?"
"No…"
"Then it doesn't count."
"Will you just give it back, Gips? Paine'll kill me if I break it."
Gippal just sat down, "nah, Paine's cool- she'll leave a nasty bruise but she won't kill you."
"Gee thanks, man..."
Gippal laughed, "so what do you think of her?"
"I like her. She seems nice," said Baralai, shrugging.
"Nice? Try ice! Must be something else you like about her then…"
"What do you mean?"
"Do you think she's hot?"
"Hey!"
"What?!"
"I just hate that expression- it's demeaning."
"Yup, you've definitely got yourself a crush," said Gippal, grinning, "a big one, too, by the sound ofit!"
"Shut up- we have more important things to be worried about at the moment."
"Buuuuuuuut you like her, right?"
"She… I…" Baralai took a deep breath, "we've only known each other a few weeks…"
"Weeks- months- years- what does it matter? Haven't you ever heard of love at first sight?"
"Yes," said Baralai, "I've just never experienced it."
"One day, when you marry Paine and I'm leading a powerful Crusader chapter, I'm going to tell Paine that you liked her ever since the Crimson Squad day and she going to kill you for telling me before you told her."
"Two problems with that Gippal, I don't like her and I'm not marrying her!"
He reached over grumpily, grabbed the sphere and shut it off.
End Baralai Sphere 2
-
"Fayth," said Paine, "is that how we sound when you bug us about each other?"
"Exactly," said Gippal. "Wanna see another sphere?"
Paine shook her head and stood, "I'm going home. Home to… think."
"Huh?"
"I have an apartment in Bevelle," she scribbled down the address, "you guys probably won't leave 'till tomorrow, knowing Rikku at a party, so come find me when you're ready to leave."
"Uhm… okay?"
Paine nodded deeply and left.
Fayth help me… he-he can't like me!
What if he does…
Fayth! I am in way over my head.